Wearables are used to prevent health problems by capturing biological signals that aim to assist in the continuous monitoring of users. A promising field is the assessment of respiratory function in humans and experimental animals. The hypothesis is that a chest vest with a lighter and more flexible textile composition will interfere less with the user’s respiratory physiology and daily activities. The primary objective of this study was to develop a customized chest wearable for Wistar rats. Subsequently, adherence, tolerance and performance in signal capture were tested in a previously developed experimental scenario, assessment respiratory patterns and mechanics using unrestricted whole-body plethysmography (UWBP). Respiratory rate (RR) in addition to other lung parameters were recorded in 5 animals, not anesthetized and previously acclimatized. Two distinct recording batteries were designated. The first without the wearable and the second with the wearable, lasting 10 min and repeated on 3 consecutive days, always at the same time of day. The results showed that 3 of the 5 animals had good adherence and tolerance to the use of the customized garment. Regarding the RR data, there was minimal influence on the breathing pattern, confirmed by the low variability and dispersion of the values when compared to the recording without the vest. On the other hand, the rodents adapted well over the 3 days, as they all fell asleep or remained calm during most of the recording time. In conclusion, despite the promising results, it is necessary to develop improvements in the textile composition of the garment to mitigate the animals’ discomfort, in addition to continuing with the inclusion of microelectronic biosensors inserted into the wearable, for future validation of a respiratory pattern analysis prototype in rodents.